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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749797">Wishes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/eponine119/pseuds/eponine119'>eponine119</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Wishes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:34:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749797</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/eponine119/pseuds/eponine119</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He doesn't know why, but she's teaching him how to wish.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Juliet Burke/James "Sawyer" Ford</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wishes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wishes<br/>by eponine119<br/>September 6, 2020</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Whenever they walk outside at night, Juliet raises her face to the stars and goes still for a moment.</p>
<p>When the clock reads 11:11, sometimes he catches her with her eyes closed for a second, and a tiny smile on her face. </p>
<p>They're talking out in the sunlight when Sawyer notices a stray eyelash lying on her cheek. He reaches out and brushes his thumb across her skin. Her eyebrows rise with confusion. He holds his thumb out for her to see it stuck there. “Eyelash,” he says. She blows it away. </p>
<p>Walking back from the cafeteria together, Juliet looks at the sky. “A shooting star!” she says, and something clicks. </p>
<p>“You make wishes?” he asks. </p>
<p>“What?” she asks, laughing and a little surprised. </p>
<p>“Wishes,” he repeats. “Do you make them?” </p>
<p>“Doesn't everyone?” she asks casually, but her eyebrows are arched as though he's accused her of something.</p>
<p>“What do you wish for?” he asks, honestly wanting to know, because he can't begin to guess. </p>
<p>“That'd be telling,” she informs him. Their eyes meet. “If you tell your wish, it won't come true.” </p>
<p>“You believe that?” </p>
<p>“Why take chances,” she says, practically, and he lets it go. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Juliet swipes the puffball of a dandelion from the ground and holds it out to Sawyer. He looks at her, not understanding, and she holds it out to him more insistently. He takes it, with fingers that feel too big and thick all of a sudden. </p>
<p>“Make a wish, and then blow the seeds away,” she says. </p>
<p>He vaguely recalls this from his earliest childhood. He looks down at the weed in his hand. Spreading the seeds will make more dandelions grow. </p>
<p>“James,” Juliet says. He glances at her, and her expression softens. “You can do this.” </p>
<p>His mouth is dry, and he can't tell her that he doesn't know what to wish for. He closes his eyes and purses his lips, exhaling hard, aware of her eyes on him. He opens his eyes and sees he's only blown about half the seeds from the stem. </p>
<p>She takes it from him and drops it on the ground. “I hope you didn't want that wish,” she says. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Stepping outside through the door into the night, she stops and puts her hand on his arm. Her other hand stretches toward the sky. “First star,” she says. </p>
<p>“I think that's the planet Venus,” he says, because it's too bright to be a normal star. </p>
<p>“Uh-uh,” she protests. She looks at him, curious and playful, and then recites: “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.” Then she closes her eyes hard and he knows she's wishing. He closes his eyes, but all he can think of is her, so he opens them again. </p>
<p>He doesn't know why, but she's teaching him how to wish. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>That night, lying in bed, it weighs heavily on his mind. He doesn't know what the hell to wish for. </p>
<p>He's going to have to figure it out, since Juliet seems determined to teach him, for reasons he can't really fathom. </p>
<p>Sawyer lets his thoughts drift back, to the days when he was very young. Back to when his mother taught him superstitions and rhymes. What did he wish for back then? He doesn't have the faintest idea. Toys, maybe. A puppy? Her attention. </p>
<p>He knows when and why he stopped wishing. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>At 11:11, Juliet looks at him and nods. </p>
<p>“Why 11:11?” he asks. </p>
<p>She thinks for a second, and then shrugs. “It's lucky when you notice it, that's all.” </p>
<p>“Synchronicity,” he says, and she looks surprised. </p>
<p>“Don't think about it, just make a wish.” </p>
<p>“You get all these things you wish for?” he asks, cranky, but she's smiling and she has her eyes closed. He decides not to tell her the clock's already flipped to 11:12. He figures that's the way of it. That's why wishes don't come true. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>She notices the red and black bug on his sleeve and points it out to him. </p>
<p>“Where in the hell did that come from?” He's never seen a ladybug on this island. </p>
<p>“Help her fly away home, and she'll grant your wish,” Juliet says. </p>
<p>Sawyer makes a big production of his sigh, and brushes at the insect. The bug seems to consider it a moment, re-folding her complicated, spotted wings. “Go on, then,” he says, giving her a little push, and she disappears into the air. </p>
<p>“Did you make a wish?” Juliet asks him, seriously. Like she's caught on to him now and can see his emptiness. </p>
<p>He supposes he should wish to fly away home himself, so he smiles and then nods for Juliet. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>The day is hot. The sun overhead beats down on them. Sawyer feels drenched and he can smell his own sweat. Juliet's hair is escaping from her ponytail in damp tendrils around her face. They come up on the well close to where the Orchid Station will be built and stop to drink some water. </p>
<p>Sawyer wants to pour the bottle over his head to cool down, but he knows he needs to drink it far more. He sips slowly. The water is warm and vaguely tastes of sulfur and he sighs, thinking of refrigerators and ice cubes. His eyes slide over to Juliet, who is digging through the pockets of her backpack. </p>
<p>“Lose something?” </p>
<p>She hands him a penny. He looks at her curiously as she steps up to the well and tosses in a coin of her own. </p>
<p>“You're kidding me,” he says. </p>
<p>“You never know,” she replies. “It could be a wishing well.” </p>
<p>He thinks she's gone too far, but he likes the way she's watching him. So he obliges her, thinking he should put an end to this charade. With his eyes on her, he tosses the penny in. There's no splash, and he leans over the opening to look in after it, but all he sees is darkness. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>For some reason, the Dharma Initiative celebrates Thanksgiving. They cook a big meal, the four of them, and when they settle down to eat in the early afternoon, Sawyer thinks about home and football. He must not be the only one thinking it, because Miles says, “We can go toss the ball when we're done eating.” </p>
<p>Jin looks at them like they're all crazy, but the food is good, and Sawyer thinks that it feels almost like a family. He likes it. </p>
<p>After the meal, Miles is too full to play any kind of ball game and sinks into a turkey coma on the couch. Sawyer follows Juliet into the kitchen to help her clean up. He sets the big roasting pan with the turkey carcass in the sink and goes back to clear the side dishes off the table. When he returns to the kitchen, she holds something up. </p>
<p>It's slender and off-white between her fingers. He remembers this from when he was a kid; his aunt and uncle used to always snap the wishbone. It's right there in the name. He should have been expecting it. </p>
<p>“I know this one,” he tells her. </p>
<p>“Then you know what to do.” She holds it out to him. </p>
<p>He considers it, thinking that he wants to make it so she gets the bigger half. She can have her wish since she cares about things like that. But he's bigger and stronger and can't figure out how to make it happen, so he gamely takes the end of the bone between his finger and thumb. They yank at the same time and he hears the snap. </p>
<p>She laughs, and when he looks, he sees she has the main part of the bone. He realizes that he got his wish, for her to get her wish, and it makes him laugh as well. </p>
<p>Their eyes meet and they both fall into a hushed silence for a moment, unable to look away. Then her lips quirk up into a smile and she turns toward the sink, carefully setting the wishbone onto the counter. </p>
<p>…</p>
<p>For his birthday, they surprise him with a cake. They surprise him by knowing it's his birthday at all. Somewhere in the world he's turning six, but he can't think about that. </p>
<p>The candles twinkle in the darkened room. He doesn't count them, but there seem to be enough. He fills his lungs, and looks at Juliet, figuring he has her to thank for this. He closes his eyes and realizes he does have a wish, after all, and blows out every single candle. </p>
<p>She smiles at him and he can feel it in his chest. </p>
<p>After dinner, they go outside. Juliet surprises him by not looking up at the stars. “I know you think it's silly,” she says. </p>
<p>“Seems like it's important to you,” he says, without judgment. </p>
<p>“It hurt somehow,” she says. “To think of a man who didn't have anything to wish for.” She's not looking at him, but he's watching her. The wind tugs at her hair. “But I've started to think it's sadder that I have so many things that I wish for, that I'm never going to get.” </p>
<p>He sighs, and thinks of saying 'like what' because he wants to know what she wishes for. Except he knows, and there's not a damn thing he can do about any of it. She wants her own time, and she wants her family. She wants, more than anything, to go home. </p>
<p>It breaks his heart to think of her giving up. It's too much a part of her now, the Juliet he knows. “Don't stop wishin', Blondie.” </p>
<p>She laughs in a way that sounds like she's going to cry, and he wants to pull her into his arms. There's no reason not to, so he reaches for her. </p>
<p>“Don't,” she warns, with blazing eyes, and he's surprised. He stands there with his empty hands. She repeats herself, more gently. “Don't.” </p>
<p>It falls into place. He understands. “You been wastin' wishes on me.” </p>
<p>She wraps her arms around herself and puts her head down. “They're mine to waste if I want to,” she says stubbornly. </p>
<p>“Maybe they ain't goin' to waste,” he says. She glances at him, her eyes still watery and her mouth set into that stubborn line he kind of adores. “What do you think I been wishing for?” </p>
<p>“Home. Rescue. Her.” </p>
<p>“You,” he says. If he thought of her every time she said to make a wish, it must be true.  She shakes her head and looks away, then looks back at him. He nods, and takes her into his arms.</p>
<p>Her fist hits his chest, not hard. “You better not be lying to me.”  </p>
<p>“Would I lie about something this important?” he asks her. With one hand, he brushes her windswept hair out of her face, so he can press his lips to hers. </p>
<p>“This was my wish,” she whispers against his chest, after the kiss ends. </p>
<p>His fingers tangle through her hair. “I know,” he says, and kisses her again.</p>
<p>(end)</p>
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